This article will briefly explain the secrets to giving a great presentation every time. Follow these secrets and you will be well on your way to sounding like a professional.
How to Give a Great Presentation:
1. Never Memorize
Never, never, never attempt to memorize your speech; make a few bullet points and refer to those bullets as you need them.
Some people choose to write their entire speech out before they give it, and that’s okay. However, when it’s time to give your speech, don’t read it word for word. Highlight a few key points in the speech. Use those key points to guide you through your presentation.
2. Practice
Practice, practice, practice. Perfect practice makes perfect, practice giving your speech using the bullets that you have created. When you become a great presenter, you won’t have to practice as much. But in the meantime, never forget to practice. If you have three hours to prepare a presentation, use at least one of those hours to practice what you’re going to say, and how you’re going to say it.
3. Record Yourself
The best way to build confidence and make your practice time more productive is to record yourself. When you record yourself you instantly have an audience. Who is that audience? It’s “you” when you play it back. Preparing with an audience, even if it’s just you, adds a level of intensity to your practice, and will make your rehearsals several times better.
4. Use Your Hands
Use your hands productively when you speak, don’t just wave them about. Use your hands to express yourself and to assist you in getting your message across. Practice using your hands, it will allow you to release some of your nervous energy, and will cause your words to flow out more easily.
5. Squeeze Your Toes
Squeeze your toes while you present if you feel nervous. Squeezing your toes will force your nervous energy into your feet where it won’t bother you as much. It will allow you to focus on your audience and your message, so try it when you give your next presentation; you can even try it when you practice.
6. Vary the Tone
No one wants to listen to a monotone speaker, so change it up. Get loud… and when you’re about to say something important, get low. Make the listener hang on every word you say. Go loud, go low, stretch your words, and then say some quickly. Vary the tone to make the presentation more interesting.
7. Pause
The profound power of the pause. When you would say “umm,” just go ahead and pause. When you pause you sound more profound.
What feels like a long time to you when you pause, is usually just a second or two to your audience. Don’t be afraid to pause; let your message sink in.
8. Act Like a Lion
Act like a lion, not like a deer. A deer is constantly scanning it’s environment looking for danger, a deer usually looks afraid, but not a lion. A lion is very deliberate in his actions, and you should be deliberate as well.
If you move while you’re giving your presentation, it should be a deliberate movement, eye contact should be deliberate, hand motions should be deliberate, all of your movements and words should be deliberate. Remember the lion.
9. Start Slow
It’s not a race, you don’t have to finish your speech in record time. Start slow, you can speed up if necessary, but a slow pace is usually more comfortable for the listener. The listener will be able to comprehend your message a little better if you speak slowly. You will also sound more profound.
10. Take It Seriously
Take every presentation very seriously. You never know who’s watching. People judge you based on how you present. You may be an amazing employee, but if your speaking skills don’t match your work ethic you will lose points. People expect leaders to be great speakers, so don’t let them down.
In Closing
Use the skills that you’ve learned in this article and you will be well on your way to giving a great presentation.
Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along.
